The 2013 Cleveland Indians thread

[Paul Moots]

Well, it was quite the off-season for the Tribe. It's tempting to believe that the front office is on the right track, although that ugly rotation needs a lot of work. According to this column the club itself feels good about 2013. So where are you on this topic, Tribe fans? Is .500 within reach?

[Neil Thomas]

I feel y'all need to sacrifice live chickens.

[Denny]

It really all depends on the rotation, particularly whether Jimenez and/or Masterson can bounce back from last year's season-long national nightmare. Brett Myers was a good signing to shore things up (though it is hard to cheer for a wife beater ), and I expect Bauer to do well once he is called up.

[John]

I'm feeling optimism. I was very down on the front office heading into this off-season, and early word that we were going to throw goo-gobs of money at Shane Victorino wasn't doing anything to boost my confidence. But they really showed me something, and I'm not just talking about Larry Dolan opening his pocketbook. Yes, that's nice, but it ultimately means nothing if you don't spend wisely. Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and yes, even whiff-king Mark Reynolds were wise additions, in my book. What really impressed me was how the front office showed patience (again, after the flirtation with Victorino). They didn't just sign these guys; they signed them to contracts that are "reasonable" enough (in the professional sports player version of reality, that is) to work with our overall budget and even make them moveable later on if we fall out of contention.

And then there was the pièce de résistance: the trade that turned Shin-soo Choo, Tony Sipp, and Lars Anderson (wait, he was in our organization?) into Drew Stubbs, Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, and an arm to dream on in Trevor Bauer. I understand the risk represented by Bauer's perceived stubbornness, and maybe that does come back to bite us. But for an organization so bereft of minor league talent, it's the kind of risk that simply must be taken. As long as he's a better pitcher than rapper, we should be fine.

So again, optimist! I'm going to go with a 16-game turnaround: 84-80. Not good enough for the playoffs, but good enough to provide hope for the future.

[Paul Moots]

Let's say the Tribe finally cave to the "change the name" pressure. This article makes some suggestions - do you guys have any? Or do we stand firm with tradition?

[Borealis]

Que Jewish Musical song... "Tradition... Tradition... TRADITION!"

[John]

Let's say the Tribe finally cave to the "change the name" pressure. This article makes some suggestions - do you guys have any? Or do we stand firm with tradition?

I wouldn't take issue with a good name change. Of course, as this article illustrates, finding a good new name isn't so simple.

Here's my best stab at a potential new name for the team that ties into the region's heritage: the Cleveland Emeralds. What I'm thinking about is Cleveland "Emerald Necklace," the chain of forests that encircles the city (except, obviously, the portion that borders Lake Erie). It's a beautiful and distinctive feature of the city. That said, most people won't get the connection, and I'm sure there will be plenty of complaints that "emeralds aren't threatening." Plus, how do you iconize an emerald? But hey, you asked.

[Tyler]

Let's say the Tribe finally cave to the "change the name" pressure. This article makes some suggestions - do you guys have any? Or do we stand firm with tradition?

I'm in the camp of people who think Chief Wahoo has to go, but the name is fine. That said, if the name did change, no complaints from me. I also say the team should just lean into it and call themselves the Spiders.

[Matt]

Let's say the Tribe finally cave to the "change the name" pressure. This article makes some suggestions - do you guys have any? Or do we stand firm with tradition?

I'm in the camp of people who think Chief Wahoo has to go, but the name is fine. That said, if the name did change, no complaints from me. I also say the team should just lean into it and call themselves the Spiders.

I actually like the Spiders idea.

[Mike Dunn]

This month I subscribed on a trial basis to the Joe Sheehan newsletter and he is very optimistic about the '13 Tribe based on their off-season moves. Interestingly, he's mainly wowed by the improvement of OF defense.

Here's an excerpt. If you want the whole piece, PM me. Its not online, he emails it to subscribers.

Upgrading the outfield defense is a less expensive way of improving a pitching staff that desperately needs the help. The Indians were 13th in the AL in pitching strikeouts last year, ahead of only the Twins, who have taken "strikeouts are fascist" far too seriously. They led the AL in their total of doubles and triples allowed and they did it with a pitching staff that was below-average in allowing fly balls and line drives. The staff should strike out more batters this year, as Trevor Bauer, Brett Myers and Carlos Carrasco take innings from the departed Derek Lowe and pitchers like Josh Tomlin and Jeanmar Gomez. The balls they do put in play are now substantially more likely to be turned into outs.

The gold standard for upgrading run prevention is the 2008 Rays, who lopped an insane 273 runs -- approaching two a game -- off their total in going from last to first. The 2013 Indians won't quite do that, but in addressing one of the game's worst collections of outfield defense while simultaneously taking balls out of play by changing the pitching staff, they've followed the Rays' model, and they don't have to beat out the 2008 Yankees and 2008 Red Sox to have a successful season. Signing Michael Bourn is a surgical strike that repairs a key area of weakness and improves the Indians' puncher's chance at being this year's feel-good story.

[Coqui]

As long as he's a better pitcher than rapper, we should be fine.

I knew better than to click on that link. I think my ears are bleeding. Not .

[Matt]

This month I subscribed on a trial basis to the Joe Sheehan newsletter and he is very optimistic about the '13 Tribe based on their off-season moves. Interestingly, he's mainly wowed by the improvement of OF defense.

Here's an excerpt. If you want the whole piece, PM me. Its not online, he emails it to subscribers.

Upgrading the outfield defense is a less expensive way of improving a pitching staff that desperately needs the help. The Indians were 13th in the AL in pitching strikeouts last year, ahead of only the Twins, who have taken "strikeouts are fascist" far too seriously. They led the AL in their total of doubles and triples allowed and they did it with a pitching staff that was below-average in allowing fly balls and line drives. The staff should strike out more batters this year, as Trevor Bauer, Brett Myers and Carlos Carrasco take innings from the departed Derek Lowe and pitchers like Josh Tomlin and Jeanmar Gomez. The balls they do put in play are now substantially more likely to be turned into outs.

The gold standard for upgrading run prevention is the 2008 Rays, who lopped an insane 273 runs -- approaching two a game -- off their total in going from last to first. The 2013 Indians won't quite do that, but in addressing one of the game's worst collections of outfield defense while simultaneously taking balls out of play by changing the pitching staff, they've followed the Rays' model, and they don't have to beat out the 2008 Yankees and 2008 Red Sox to have a successful season. Signing Michael Bourn is a surgical strike that repairs a key area of weakness and improves the Indians' puncher's chance at being this year's feel-good story.

The author makes a valid point. The 2005 White Sox actually scored 124 runs less than the 2004 team. BUT, they lopped off 186 runs from the runs allowed, and part of that was sending the statue of Carlos Lee to the Brewers for Scott Podsednik, and signing Jermaine Dye to play RF. Aaron Rowand was the lone holdover in the outfield. Now, I'm quite sure a one legged blind man with an iron lung would have been an upgrade over Lee in left, but Podsednik in LF, Rowand in Cf, and Dye in right gave that team a very good outfield. There's more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to winning baseball games, and preventing runs is just as important as scoring them. And often you can do the former easier (cheaper) than the latter. Just ask Brian Sabean.

[Duane]

ummmmmmmm

Go SOX!!!

Good guys wear black.

[Ghosts]

Seriously? Nobody has seen to fit to comment on the last two weeks?

I can't say that I'm totally convinced, but I can say that if you told me that Ubaldo has turned some sort of corner and Kazmir is going to continue to do what he's done ... then, why not the Tribe this year coming out of the AL? Their offense is really still not clicking on all cylinders.

[John]

Ubaldo really has looked like a different pitcher, hasn't he? That last start of his against Detroit may have been his most impressive as an Indian. That Tigers lineup is no joke, but when they challenged him, he found ways to diffuse the danger. For the first time in his tenure as an Indian, I have some actual hope that he might be a contributor.